What is this thing called "Patreon?"

Some have found a Patreon page that I created for the DFIR Training website (http://www.patreon.com/dfirtraining). Here is a short description of what is going on with me, DFIR Training, and Patreon.

First off, Patreon is just a way for you to support DFIR Training (and me!). You simply choose to subscribe at a level of support that you want. Right now, there is a $3 level if you wish to throw me a cup of coffee (much appreciated by the way), or $20. In return, you get rewards. The rewards inlcude the courses I make (Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard, X-Ways Forensics Practitioner's Guide course, and more), plus videos that I will only publish on Patreon, and a few other goodies exclusive for supporters only.

Before you get a little turned off that to get some things, you have to pay, hold on just a few seconds so I can explain. The things I freely do and give out, I will continue to do so. But for the extra things, I will be doing them under Patreon for the DFIR Training website. To make it rewarding to support the DFIR Training Patreon page, I not only lowered the price of the courses I have created, but I am flat out giving access to most all of them at $20 a month. I've seen where some folks will not support on Patreon, but for those who do, you have my gratitude and access to everything :)

As to the DFIR Training website, it will remain freely accessible, and everything on it will remain freely accessible. Only the content that I create solely for Patreon supporters will be for Patreon supporters, and nowhere else, even as Patreon will support the growth of www.dfir.training.

On top of that, for the book giveaways on DFIR Training, Patreon supporters get an extra 20 chances to win a book, for each book drawing. This is in addition to getting access to the online courses. And I am posting cheat sheets only for Patreon supporters too. There are also going to be software reviews and software comparison videos too. None of the reviews are paid, so you’ll get my honest and unbiased opinion and not a commercial.

Why am I doing this?

The ‘free’ books, of course, are not truly free (they are to the winners, but that's it). Patreon supporters are super in helping pay for the books that aren’t donated by the authors. Because of Patreon support, I am willing to give supporters high levels of return favor with things like access to my online training courses, interviews, and the other neat things that I will be creating just for them (like a series of cheat sheets and ebooks).

As far as the online courses, I am continually asked about freely extending course access, which I am sure is a little uncomfortable to ask and uncomfortable for me to turn down as all user accounts are charged to me, and therefore, I have to charge the users, so free access isn’t really free… With Patreon, it is easier for each person to control their access with a subscription. So as long as you are a Patreon supporter at $20, all the courses are included for as long as you want.

I am planning on changing the Patreon support levels fairly soon. I won’t cancel the support levels, but I will be limiting the number for each level. For example, I will eventually close the $20 level and increase the amount with a new tier, but everyone in the $20 before the change will be able to stay in it for as long as they want.Hint: best to get in sooner than later it if you are considering it, because I will be limiting the number.

Also, the more support on Patreon, the more things I will be able to devote time to create. For the time being, I will be adding every course I create to Patreon and also create some Patreon-only content in the coming weeks and months.

So, you can look at it two different ways:

Support DFIR Training (and me) on Patreon and get lots of rewards like online courses and ebooks, or

Get a bunch of online courses that I make for only $20 a month, which goes toward supporting DFIR Training